Authorship decisions in ecology, evolution, organismal biology and natural resource management: who, why, and how

Abstract

Publication in peer–reviewed journals is essential for scientific progress including: (1) advancement of knowledge, (2) societal benefits including scientifically–based decision–making, (3) evaluation of researcher productivity, and (4) obtaining and retaining a research or faculty position and facilitating future scientific contributions. As science becomes increasingly complex so do the results necessary for publication, which frequently necessitates collaboration among scientists from multiple and diverse fields. Nevertheless, collaborative publication always includes the possibility of misunderstandings and differences of opinion. Here we first review the published literature on authorship determination for scientific publications in ecology, evolution, organismal biology and natural resource management, including consideration of what constitutes authorship, consideration of author contributions, author order in a byline, and power relationships, after which we provide several examples of realistic authorship conflict scenarios for purposes of pedagogy and discussion with colleagues and students.